GALVESTON – A lawsuit filed by a Texas City man accuses Galveston police of savagely beating him and forcing his head underwater as he lay in the surf.

The federal lawsuit filed Monday by Reginald Deon Davis, 34, against the city of Galveston and officers Archie Chapman Jr. and Jose H. Santos Jr. asks for damages to be determined by a jury. The lawsuit accuses the city of failing to properly train its officers. The incident was captured by a camera mounted on a patrol car.

Police Chief Henry Porretto said Davis had been convicted on two previous drug charges and was facing a possible third strike. He said Davis grabbed something from the seat of the car and put it in his pocket before fleeing. An internal police investigation completed before Davis filed a complaint determined that officers used necessary force, Porretto said.

The lawsuit alleges that on March 19 Davis was asleep in his car on the seawall, illegal in Galveston without a camping permit. Santos allegedly awakened Davis at 1:45 a.m. and asked him to place his hands on the hood of the police car. Davis ran onto the beach, was tased and tackled as he staggered to his feet, according to the lawsuit. Davis alleges that Santos, Chapman and three other officers beat him as he lay in the surf and forced his head under water.